Open Survey On The Lindens' Openspace Price Hike

Online Surveys & Market Research

Context and conversation here.

Image credit:  Vidal Tripsa, from her Flickr stream.

Comments

[dandellion Kimban]

I don't think this will make me scale back my time and money iSL, but this is outrageous. We're yet to see how bad this will be.

[Forsythe Whitfield]

So let me see if I've got this straight. LL gave a great price on Open Space sims so that people could have oceans or fields to drive in around their sims. People abused the usage regs causing LL to raise the usage rates on the Open Spaces to bring it more in line with private island rates and we're all offended?!? This seems like sour grapes to me. These folks figured out how to take advantage of LL and now that LL is taking control back those folks are all pissed off.

[Madame Maracas]

I voted "indifferent", as far as direct, specific, discrete impact on me, that's the most accurate option presented. However, I suspect that like the Prim Tax Revolt before my time, this *may* be a turning point in all of our Second Lives.

There has been a progression of changes made to the economic systems in SL, mostly revolving around land pricing, availability and use that have consistently eroded the ability of traditional SL users to continue their Second Lives in the manner they had before these changes.

I have had to move my "rental" homes a number of times in the past 2 years after a Linden Lab change to sim ownership has impacted my Landlord's ability to operate in SL. I lost a shop parcel I had established for 2 years when my Landlord there dropped out of the parceled sim rental business. I have watched my friends that own sims for shops or parcel rental struggle to keep abreast of the changing rates LL charges them, and how their need to shift the rate they charge their tenants further causes them to downsize.

Your world (if you can afford a more than reasonable standard cost of living increase), Your imagination (of just how quickly you can be rate-hiked out of the 1st half of this statement) seems a dream further and further from (virtual) reality with each change.

I am still a renter in SL, I've not seen fit to own land since I think late 2006 or so, and as long as I can find someone who CAN and will rent parcels to me at a reasonable rate, I doubt I'd ever go back to owning land. The price points are prohibitive and the economic exposure is terrifying. Whatever one thinks they might be "buying" they're only borrowing on the most fluid of terms.

I don't see these actions as community building. I seem them as destructive. Very sad.

[Alisha]

My problem with this is the total lack of pricing stability. This forces My hand as it is no longer possible to plan safely for any business venture.

[Epernay Freschi]

It seems that many residents have not read and understood the Terms of Service which apply to their game.

I view this adjustment in pricing policy as a positive step in the long term, which could enhance the in-world experiences of many land-owners, renters, creators of content and residents.

It would be interesting 'though to see more of an explanation for the changes.

[Skinkie Winkler]

I'm afraid I'm unable to vote as, although the increase does not directly impact me significantly (I don't own an opensim) I am certainly not "indifferent" to the situation. I won't be changing my online time because of it, but I will be exploring other avenues such as the OpenlifeGrid. However, one always has to bear in mind that any move might be "out of the frying pan, into the fire".